For the next two months, Juventus will have to do without the services of Weston McKennie in the middle of the park.
The American joins a long list of absentees after sustaining a foot injury during the first leg of the Champions League round of 16 against Villarreal.
The former Schalke man leaves Massimiliano Allegri short of options in midfield. The tactician mostly utilizes three central midfielders on the pitch, but currently has four options only (Manuel Locatelli, Denis Zakaria, Adrien Rabiot and Arthur Melo).
With the transfer market closed, the Bianconeri will have to improvise an internal solution.
According to JuventusNews24, Allegri has identified McKennie’s replacement in Juve’s U23 squad.
Therefore, the club could promote Fabio Miretti who will cover for the Texan’s absence.
The Italian is only 18 years of age, and he’s been rising through the ranks of the club’s youth sector.
This season, he has been playing a key role in Lamberto Zauli’s team, scoring three goals and providing four assists in his 25 Serie C appearances thus far.
He has also featured for a single minute with the first team in the Champions League encounter against Malmo.
Juve FC say
Thankfully for Juventus, the U23 youngsters are always present to provide backup when necessary. We’ve already seen the likes of Marley Aké and Matias Soulé taking part in first team matches.
However, Allegri is notorious for his cautious approach when it comes to youngster. Thus, we can expect Miretti to be a part of the squad, but he’s unlikely to feature for long spells – unless the injury crisis worsens.
